Unknown
by ninjagal2000
Summary: My name is Nicholas Jack Waters. My mom left me after I was born, and after my dad married he died in a lab accident. I like to know everything around me, and I'm afraid of what can't be defined. My life seems normal until I am saved by a girl shrouded in mystery. She is everything I fear: everything unknown.
1. Chapter 1

**Well, this is from a whole new POV so don't get too confused. It's been half a year since Nikki left all the ones she loved to protect them. But what happened to her? And how have so many new demigods been brought safely to camp?**

"Nicholas, wake up!" my stepmother screamed at me.

I groaned. I hated mornings- since school was so far away, I had to get up early to get there on time.

"Don't make me come up there, Nicholas!" she screamed again.

"I'm coming, Cilicia!" I called. She wanted me to call her mom, but there was no way on earth I cared about her enough to call her that.

It sounds stupid, but I lived in a literal Cinderella story, minus the step-sisters – my mom gave birth to me and just dumped me on my dad. When I was five, he married this awful woman named Cilicia. I don't even know her maiden name! Then, when I was six, my dad had an accident in the lab he worked at. Everyone survived except my dad.

Cilicia was sad for the first week, and then she hardened into this heartless demon. She blamed the accident on me, my real mom, and my dad. Even though she hated my entire family, she kept our last name, Waters.

So, Nicholas Jack Waters got out of his bed, got into his (ugly) school uniform, and left his room to eat breakfast. And Nicholas was miserable – believe me, I'd know.

There was a bowl of cereal on the counter filled with Frosted Flakes without milk – just how I like it. That was one of the few things that proved to me my stepmom didn't completely hate me.

"Anything new going to happen at school today?" she asked, even though I give her the same answers every day.

"I'm learning new things," I said through my food.

I was really smart – it's what got me a full scholarship to this private school for gifted kids. It's different from other middle schools. First of all, you could get a scholarship, which happened mostly for high school and colleges. Also, they place you according to how smart you – they ignore your age altogether. Example: I'm nine, but I'm almost done with sixth grade.

"Hurry up or you'll be late," Cilicia said.

"Fine." I got up, put my bowl on the counter, and headed towards the car. Cilicia followed me after she found the keys. We started our ride to school in silence, just like every day. It's like our lives would never change.

…

After my forth class in school, science, I got ready for lunch.

As I walked through the line with the other sixth graders who are all older than me, I kept glancing at this new kid. Every time I saw him, he'd glare at me, and I'd turn away quickly. I tried to think of a way to get around him, but he started towards me and I panicked.

"So you're Nicholas Waterss, huh?" he asked in a voice that reminded me of Draco from Harry Potter. (Oh yeah, I'm a complete geek, too.)

Deafly, I nodded. I kept noticing how strong he looked and how much he looked like he wanted to pound me.

The kid looked around to see if anyone was looking. Then, fast as lightning, he grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the lunch room.

"Hey! Hey, let me go!" I cried, but he ignored me. I was used to being bullied, but it still bothered me. Not that it bothered Cilicia when I came home with a black eye or bloody nose.

However, this bully seemed different. None of the teachers noticed when he dragged me past them, even when I screamed their names. As we neared the doors to go outside, his grip had tightened so much my fingers were turning blue.

"You're hurting me!" I screamed pathetically.

"That'sss the point, demigod," his sly voice said again.

"'Demigod'? What are you talking about?" I asked as he released my arm and threw me to the ground.

"Shut up and make thiss easssier on yourssssself," he told me, his voice changing. Slowly, he began morphing into a large snake as long as me. Its scales were a sickly green, and as it breathed the plants at the entrance to our school withered and died.

"What – what are you?" I whispered in horror.

"I am the Βασιλισκος, foolish demigod!" the sickening creature hissed.

"The basilisk? Those don't exist!" Wildly, my mind flashed to Harry Potter and I turned away from its eyes.

"I am a _basssilissskossssss _ssstupid demigod! King of the ssnakesss and the ssstrongesst monster of all time!" it cried triumphantly and greatly.

"I've killed greater," a hard voice said from behind the monster.

I still wouldn't look up from where I stared, afraid to be killed. Noises of a short fight came from in front of me, and I soon saw golden dust scatter across the pavement, followed by silence.

"It's safe now, kid," the voice said.

I looked up, and was staring at a girl. She looked like she was about thirteen. Her brown hair was pulled into a tight ponytail. She was wearing a "Keep Calm and Live On" t-shirt with dark blue jean shorts, but had a long coat which didn't go well with the hot Florida weather. She was staring at me intently.

"Blonde and grey-eyed?" she asked simply.

"Uh, yeah?" I replied in more of a question.

"Pretty unsure for a kid of the wisdom goddess," she said bluntly. She reached inside her coat and pulled out a dagger. She held it gingerly by the blade and handed the hilt out to me. "Take it. I'll teach you to use it on our way."

"Wait, what?" I asked in complete confusion.

"Look, kid, you're a demigod. Judging from your blonde hair and grey eyes, your mom is Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom. Now take the dagger so I can take you to Long Island - Camp Half-blood."

"Camp Half-blood? What are you talking about? I'm not leaving Florida for LONG ISLAND! What's wrong with you?"

"Kid, you don't really have a choice. It's "stay here and die" or "come with me"," she said without pity.

I stared at her. "But, what about my stepmom? I can't just leave her without a goodbye!"

Her eyes stayed hard and unforgiving. "It's not as hard as people think. Not for long. Now do you want to live or not?"

As I looked at her I could tell she wouldn't bother waiting for me if I was unsure. "Okay. But I want to know what I'm getting myself into."

The girl smirked. "There's the child of Athena I was waiting for."

"How about we start with the basics? What's your name?"

At my question, all the humor that might have existed left her. "How about a need-to-know basis, kid. All you _need_ to know is that I don't want to know you, and all I'm here for is to get you to camp safely. Then I'm gone, and I'll stay that way."

**Well, she's rather charming, if I do say so myself. I will try to update as much as possible, since it's summer those will happen much more often! This story probably won't be too long, and it's all just Nicholas getting to camp. Oh, the "basiliskos" is another name for the basilisk, a Greek monster. You may recognize the name from Harry Potter. I did. :P**

**-ninja **


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't know if my poll didn't work or something. If that is the case, SUPER SORRY! Only one person said they wanted a sequel… so thanks to that person! :D**

Even as the sun set, we didn't slow down. She had taken off her coat a while ago and draped it over her arm as we trekked across Florida. When she had first taken it off, I understood why she had it on.

She had an iPod case strapped to her arm with a black iPod Nano in it. (I didn't even know they still made those, they're so old.) That was about as normal as what she had went. She had all sorts of weapons strapped across her torso just beyond sight when she was underneath the coat. There were daggers, swords placed carelessly, a pocket knife, and even arrow heads.

"Why… do you have… a ton… of weapons?" I asked her through my rugged breathing. I was out of shape.

"Why do you think, kid?" she asked as if she was sitting down. She didn't even seem to have had faster breathing.

"Why'd you… get… so many? Do you… really help… that many… demigods?" I asked, every word hurting.

"Yeah, kid. I help everyone I can. I guess, since you're Athena's kid, you'll want to know how I got them," she said again as evenly as before. She turned her head slightly so she was looking at me.

I nodded, trying to save my breath.

"I asked the demigods to take some from the forges at the camp and give them to me the night after I get them to there. They always do to help the other demigods, even though they seriously hate me." She didn't care that people hated her.

"Can… we… stop?" I begged, my lungs ready to burst.

"Look, kid, we got a lot of ground to cover. I guess we can stop walking, but I'm going to teach you to use that dagger."

…

"Again!" she yelled at me.

I moved my arm quickly and stabbed the tree again.

"Good. Now hand it to me for a second."

I do as she asks. She turns away from me and lifts her pant leg slightly **(don't have a dirty mind, people.)**. Her hand moved quickly and she handed me the slightly bloody dagger back.

"Thanks." With her own blood, she drew an _X _on a different tree that I hadn't thrown the dagger at yet.

"Aim for that x," she told me. She wiped her hand against her shorts. "Get me when you can hit it almost every time."

She walked away and didn't turn around while I threw the dagger.

…

What to say? How about this: I don't have aim. I can't fight, throw, dodge, ANYTHING! I had given up and was trying to work up the nerve to tell her I couldn't do it.

I started for the general direction she had left, but I saw that she had dropped her iPod. Being the child of Athena I am, I wanted to see what songs she had on it.

It was old, so it didn't have a screen lock. I went to her playlist and was extremely disappointed. She had four songs, all of which were by Three Days Grace. The songs were _Pain, Animal I have Become, On my Own, _and _Gone Forever._

They were arranged in no apparent order, and it was bugging me.

Ignoring my OCD moment, I skipped _Pain _and played _Animal I have Become._

**If you'd just listen to those song… warning: Animal I have Become says "Hell." I don't really know if that matters at all, but… yeah. Okay, uh, just at least listen to Gone Forever. Different theme and such…**

The songs were creepy and depressing. After _Gone Forever, Pain _started playing, and it was freaky. I really don't know why she liked these songs so much.

Anyway, I noticed the first three songs were about how the lead singer left someone they cared about or how terrible their life is now. But the last one, _Gone Forever, _is about the lead singer being left, and that they're happier without the person.

I didn't hear the girl coming up from behind me.

"_What do you think you're doing?" _she asked sharply.

I jumped and whirled around. "I – I'm sorry, I was just listening to your iPod!"

She glared. "Why?"

"Well, I wanted to know what songs you listened to. Why all Three Days Grace?"

Her gaze softened slightly. "Their music tells a story."

I felt my eyes widen. "Wait, you mean that these songs are your story?"

Her eyes hardened into stone and stared at me. "What makes you think _that_?"

The way she said it through gritted teeth told me it was true. "It _is._

"Why does one song have a different meaning than the other ones?" I asked her curiously.

She sighed, but her eyes didn't become any kinder. "Not everything's about me, kid."

This time I glared. "Quit calling me 'kid.' I have a name!"

"Nicholas sounds weird."

"I would say your name sounds weird, too, but you won't tell me it!" I yelled.

"That's because I don't want you to know it!" she said, her voice rising too.

"Why? What is so bad about your name that makes you unable to tell people it?" I cried incredulously.

"Names have power, kid. I don't want to go around telling people mine!"

"I don't think that's it. I think you have a past, and so you're just –"

I was cut off sharply because she punched me in the face and I passed out.

…

As I was passed out, I had a really weird dream.

A girl was running. Things flew past her- people, houses, cars- but she didn't pay attention to them. Once, she did stop running and talked to someone. Out of nowhere, a snake came and bit the person she was with.

The girl screamed, but she turned and ran as the snake followed her everywhere she went, attacking everywhere she stopped moving.

When I woke up again, the girl was nowhere in sight, and everything that proved she had been there was gone except the dagger.

**Uh, yeah. I don't really have a closing for the chapter. How do you guys like it so far?**


	3. Chapter 3

**it. took. me. ages.**

**Wow… I haven't updated in a while… and I did this on my iPad so I can't get the font right and I'm used to auto-correct… this is bad. Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad!**

I looked left then right. Then left. Then right. I was having some serious indecision. I didn't know if I should go to this camp the girl kept talking about, or if I should go home. At home, I felt alone. I felt like an outcast: not understood, not included, and unknown. Not to mention monster bait.

But at the camp, I could be someone. I could make a name for myself. I could be known.

I decided to do what felt like the very stupid option.

**...**

I considered turning around. Five times. Two of those times seriously. One of those times I did, but I changed my mind. So I kept walking and hoped I was going in the right direction. We hadn't been traveling on any obvious path, so there was nothing to follow but my gut. And that wasn't exactly accurate sometimes.

Like when I came across a highway. My gut told me to cross. I crossed and walked on for a little and found out that that way led to a cliff. So, I doubled back and went the way my gut told me strongly not to go. I got farthest that way.

When the way my gut told me not to go brought me to a gas station, I stole a map. I really didn't want to, but I didn't have any money. And besides, the clerk looked like a big jerk who deserved it. I discovered that where I was now was a little ways into Georgia - about a quarter into the state. I had lived in one of the closest towns to the border between Georgia and Florida, so I wasn't surprised I'd actually made it to the state. I decided to just keep walking till I got to this camp.

Now do you see why this felt like a very stupid option? I didn't know how I'd even find this camp, let alone get there in one piece.

I left the gas station and walked away from the highway. It may have been the only way to tell where I was going, but people have a tendency to question why there's a kid walking alone.

I walked and walked until I was pretty sure I was walking in circles. Turns out, I was!

I found out because I was being followed.

I found _that_ out when it attacked me.

I was just walking in a circle aimlessly, completely at a loss for things to do. I knew going back wasn't an option, but neither was going forward. I pulled out the dagger she had left me, and that's when it attacked.

Don't get me wrong, I've learned a lot about Greek mythology and its monsters, but this thing still scared me. At first I thought it was just a black horse-dog. You see those every day, right?

But then I saw its eyes and its teeth, and I knew that it was a hellhound. It bit at me, but I slashed out wildly with my knife and scratched its nose. Yelping, it back stepped, but regained its courage and lunged again. I wasn't as ready this time, though, and it cut into my arm. I cried out in pain and fell to the ground, my arm bleeding heavily.

I laid there, and it started approaching me. I knew I was done for, and I knew the girl wasn't going to come and save me.

I never even learned her name.

I closed my eyes and waited for the monster to kill me.

**...**

"I'm done saving your ass," a voice said above me.

I slowly opened my eyes, vaguely recognizing the voice.

"Wake up, Sleeping Blondie. Do you want to get to camp or not?"

Opening my eyes the rest of the way, I stared up at the person in front of me.

"You... you left," I said in stupid astonishment as the girl with brown hair and hazel eyes gazed back at me.

"Yep, but I came back. Obviously at a good time, too."

"Yeah... Thanks."

"Don't mention it, kid. Now come on, before I leave again."

"Wait!" I shouted, standing.

"What is it now, kid?"

"Will you please tell me your name?"

She seemed to hesitate.

"Come on, you know my name, at least tell me yours!"

"Kid, I don't have to tell you anything."

"I know. If anything, I owe you. But please."

She sighed, thinking she'd regret this. "Nikki, kid. My name's Nikki."

**...**

"So, what's your story?" I asked slowly, afraid she'd get really mad at again.

"Kid, don't push your luck."

"Come on! You said everyone who you help hates you. You obviously want them to."

She glared at me. "Damn kid, you notice more than Annabeth, and that's saying something."

"Who's Annabeth?" I asked curiously.

She turned away. "Nobody. Just leave it alone, kid."

"My name isn't kid!" I yelled. "I'm Nicholas Jack Waters!"

She froze. "What'd you say your name was?" She asked through clenched teeth.

Instantly terrified, I stuttered, "Nick-Nicholas Waters?"

"No, not that. Your middle name."

I gulped. "Jack."

She stared at me. Her expression was one I recognized from somewhere, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"That's a good name, kid. Wear it with pride."

Her voice was stiff, and she had the same unwavering expression on her face. With a sickening jolt, I remembered where I had seen it. My step-mother.

After my dad, who she said was her only remaining family, died.

"Who was he?" I asked.

"Who was who, kid?"

"Jack."

Her expression didn't change, though I had expected it to get angry. "Kid, if I tell you, I'm just putting you in danger. I'm not losing someone else because I wanted to have a chat about life."

"No one can just walk around and pretend nothing's wrong. It gets to you - believe me, I'd know."

"You sure you want to know? It could kill you." She forced a playful smile.

I looked at her sad face, her empty smile, and her eyes that showed how broken she truly was.

"I want to know."

She smiled a genuine smile - I guess no one has cared about how she's felt in a long while.

"Well, I'm a demigod, in case you haven't figured out the obvious. My parent isn't important.

"When I was your age, a god tried to host a rebellion against the Olympians. He convinced my best friends Rachel and Jack to join him.

"I had to stop him. So, when the time came, I killed him. He was my father - Asclepius. He's dead, but both of my friends were killed, and I was cursed by him.

"Then, about when I first started helping people to camp, I met a kid named Jack. He was your age. I don't know who his parent was. But I was nice to him, and he was nice to me. I became his friend. The day I brought him to Camp was the day he died. He was fine then... dead. And another death of someone I cared for was my fault."

"That's horrible," I said, mortified.

"Everyone I care about dies, so I came up with the obvious solution: don't care. I left behind everyone I loved or even liked in the slightest. I left Nico, Percy, Annabeth, I even never went to see Cilicia again. And I even left her without a goodbye in the first place. She probably hated me anyway, so it didn't really matter," she said with the harshness of abandonment in her voice.

"Wait, who's Cilicia?"

"My mom. Well, really she's my aunt, but she liked me better than my real mom. I stuck with her till she left me about seven or eight years ago for some scientist."

I stared at her with wide eyes. "Have you heard of the domino effect?"

She looked at me like I was crazy. "Uh, yeah?"

"Well, there's something similar to it. Its baseline is 'everything is connected.'"

"Yeah, so?"

"My step-mom's name is Cilicia and she married my dad seven years ago."

**Yeah, not my greatest piece. Sadly, not my worst. But as soon as I finish this I have an idea for a new story I think you guys may like! This one worked out better in my head but... Yeah. Sorry it took so long! I hope you don't hate me… but I have good news! I'm not failing any of my classes in high school! :D :D :D :D (including geometry!) I promise to update soon this time.**


End file.
